


The Reichenbach Fall

by IAmSherLOCKED666



Series: CollegeLock! [1]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-31
Updated: 2014-02-01
Packaged: 2018-01-10 13:33:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 5,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1160292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAmSherLOCKED666/pseuds/IAmSherLOCKED666
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No copy right Ifridgement is intended.  I do not own ANYTHING!  All credit goes to Mark Gattiss and Stephen Moffant.  THE idea is BARELY mine but still somewhat.  this is a very rough sample and I will take it down at some point.<br/>Thnk you soooooo much to the lovely Ariane DeVere for posting the transcript that helped me write this.  Go check her out at:<br/>http://arianedevere.livejournal.com/<br/>She is amazing.<br/>Sherlock faces off against his equal in every way and could this man take Sherlock away from John?  If so how would John handle that?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hearts Burst Into Fire

fame  
through  
stay out of the news

John shower  
Phone  
Ignore  
phone  
read paper  
phone  
"Sherlock!"  
fine ill get it  
I'm busy  
He's back  
Come play tower hill  
Jim Moriarty x


	2. Bezelbub

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter is Currently Under Construction

tower london  
check in  
alarm  
bank of england  
westgate prison  
GETSHERLOCK  
Shatter Glass  
Play Dress up  
"No Rush"


	3. The Phoenix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter is Currently Under Construction.

Geting ready for trial  
Ride over  
don't be yourself


	4. Even If I Could

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter is Currently Under Construction

Court house  
Bathroom meeting  
You Repel Me  
Showing off  
Cell lock up


	5. Survival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is Not A Chapter yet.

Spring  
Debate it  
Look


	6. Survival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chapter is Still Under Construction

The Trial  
comeing for you


	7. Mighty Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chapter is Still Under Construction

violin  
visit  
crime like music  
how burn me  
fingers  
idk  
see me in a crown  
adore-able  
wistle  
falling-like flying but with a more perminent destination  
IOU


	8. Sound of Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chapter is Still Under Construction

money problem  
loud in the silence  
tradition  
school friend?  
new neighbor  
because he doesn't trust you (i'm not doing this for you)


	9. Little Red Riding Hood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chapter is Still Under Construction

breadcrumbs  
newcase - kidnapping  
poor little old lady  
Grimm's Fairy Tales  
sniffing  
no smiles for you!


	10. (*fin)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chapter is Still Under Construction

Lab  
Looking sad when no one can see  
I don't count  
Hansel and Grettle  
chocolate  
homeless network far more efficient  
found kids


	11. Sail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chapter is Still Under Construction

Try to talk to little girl  
screams...why?  
IOU in the window across the way  
insincere compliments  
drive alone  
why  
silence


	12. Godspeed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chapter is Still Under Construction

Sir Boast-A-Lot  
Car Coming  
Donovan and lesterade  
fake  
shot for helping  
Sherlock!


	13. Lost It All

Sherlock and John were standing infront of Bakerstreet as the body was wheeled into the ambulance.    
“That ... it’s him.  It’s him.  Sulejmani or something.  Mycroft showed me his file.  He’s a big Albanian gangster lives two doors down from us.”  
“He died because I shook his hand.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“He saved my life but he couldn’t touch me.  Why?”  _Why did he die?  I need to think._   He walks off into the flat.

When John gets upstairs he finds Sherlock walking quickly towards his laptop.  _I gotta change the password again._     
“Four assasins living right on our doorstep.  They didn’t come here to kill me; they have to keep me alive.”  He types something on the computer.  “I’ve got something that all fo them want, but if one of them approaches me ...”  
“... the others kill them before they can get it.”

Sherlock pulls up a list of all the local Wi-Fi networks.  “All of the attention is focussed on me.  There;s a surveillance web closing in on us right now.”  
“So what have you got that’s so important?”  
“We need to ask about the dusting.”  Sherlock gets up and runs downstairs to get Mrs. Hudson.  “Precise details; in the last week, what’s been cleaned?”  
“Well, Tuesday I did your lino ...”  
“No, in here.”  Sherlock says gestering to the sitting room.  “This room.  This is where we’ll find it – any break in the dust line.  You can can put back anything but dust.  Dust is eloquent.”

Mrs. Hudson looks to John hoping he knows what is going on, “What’s he on about?”  John just shrugs.    
“Cameras.  We’re being watched.”  He finds one hidden between to books on the top shelf of a bokcase.     
“What?  Cameras?  Here?  I’m in my nightie!”

The doorbell rings and she turns around to go back downstairs and answer it.  Lestrade comes up the stairs.  
“No, Inspector.”  
“What?” Lestrade asks though he really shouldn’t be surprised.  
“The answer’s no.”  
“But you haven’t heard the question!”  
“You want to take me to the station.  Just saving you the trouble of asking.”  
“Sherlock ...”  
“The scream?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Who was it?  Donovan?  I bet it was Donovan.  Am I somehow responsible for the kidnapping?  Ah, Moriarty is smart.  He planted that doubt in her head; that little nagging sensation.  You’re gonna have to be strong to resist.  You can’t kill an idea, can you?  Not once it’s made a home there.” He says trouching the inspectors forehead.

He sighs, “Will you come?”

Sherlock turns around and sits back down at the lap top hooking the camera up to it.  “One photograph – that’s his next move.  Moriarty’s game; first the scream, then a photograph of me being taken for questioning.  He wants to destroy me inch by inch.”  Sherlock’s actions make him seem like he doesn’t care but john knows that he does.  _Sherlock this is dangerous. Be careful._     
“It’s a game, Lestrade.” He says meeting his eyes. “ and I’m not willing to play.  Give my regards to Donovan.

Lestrade looks at John as if he can help but he sees that it’s really no use and turns around to walk back out the door. 

When Sherlock hears the front door close he gets up and looks out the window.  
“They’ll be deciding.”  
“Deciding?”  
“Whether to come back with a warrent and arrest me.”He says with a look that says _It’s quite obvious._  
“You think?”  _Not to everyone, Sherlock.  Especially if that’s not what we want._  
“Standard procedure.”  
“Should have gone with him.  People’ll think ...”  
“I don’t care what people think.” The detective says a little too quickly.  
“You’d care if they thought you were stupid, or wrong.”  _Don’t lie to me Sherlock.  I see through it.  I know you._  
“No,” he says defensively.  “That would jsut make _them_ stupid or wrong.”

John gets angry.  “Sherlock, I don’t want the world believing you’re ...”  
“That’s I’m what?”  Sherlock looks him in the eyes.   
“A fraud.”  Sherlock rolls his eyes pretending like that doesn’t matter.  Because it doesn’t it doesn’t matter what other people think it only matters what John thinks.  _Do you think I’m a fraud John?_  
“You’re worried they’re right.”  
“What?”  
“You’re worried they’re right about me.”  _John!  I’m not I promise you!  I’m Sherlock.  Just Sherlock._  
“No.” How could sherlock even think that?  John looks him in the eyes wants to scream _Never!_ But can’t.  
“That’s why you’re so upset.  You can’t even entertain the possibility that they might be right.  You’re afraid you’ve been taken in as well.”  _Don’t lead me on, John.  Not you too._  
“No, I’m not.”  John looks away because he can’t let Sherlock see how much that hurts.  Doesn’t the boy trust him?  
“Moriarty is playing with your mind too.” He slams his hand down, emotions starting to fray.  His perfect control slipping.  “Can’t you _see_ what’s going on?”  it’s a desperate cry.  _No!  John please please please don’t fall for it.  Don’t leave me alone!_  
“No, I know you’re for real.”  John looks him in the eyes.  
“A hundred percent?”  and he sounds like a little boy and John is reminded of _just_ how young Sherlock really is. 

He walks up to him where he’s standing looking down not meeting John’s eyes.  He looks tired and scared and so fragile.  John grabs his chin and makes him look up.  “Well, nobody could fake being such an annoying dick _all_ the time.”  He gets waht he wants Sherlock straightens up and gives him one of those special little smiles that’s almost there.  
 _Thank you, John._   He says in his mind and he can swear that the look John gives him says, _You’re welcome._

John stands there trying to remember when this boy went from Sherlock Holmes, flatmate, bestfriend, to Sherlock Holmes reason for living and life, and if maybe it was that first day they met and he shot someone for him?  His phone rings.  
“John ... Okay ... Alright ... Thanks, Greg ... Yeah, I understand.”  He hangs up and turns to Sherlock.  “So, still got _some_ friends on the Force.  It’s Lestrade.  Says they’re all coming over here right now, queing up to slap on the handcuffs: everysingle officer you ever made feel like a tit, which is a lot of people.

Mrs. Hudson come up the stairs.  “Yoo-hoo.  Oh, I’m sorry am I interupting something?”  Sherlock just gives her a look.

She turns to John, “Some chap delivered a parcel.  It’s marked ‘priority’ - I had to sign for it.”  John takes the package from her and notices the wax seal on the top.  “funny name.  German, liek the fairytales.

They open the little box and a cardboard cut out of a gingerbread man falls into Sherlocks hand.  But right in the middle of the chest there is a hole that is all burnt around the edges. _“I’ll burn the heart out of you.”_  
“What does it mean?”  she asks.

Before either man can answer there is knocking on the front door and then it is opened and officers start running up the stairs.  “Police” some one yells.


	14. Wanted Dead or Alive

The first voice Sherlock recognises is Donovan’s.  “Sherlock.  We need to talk to you.”    
“Don’t just barge in like that!”  Mrs Hudson tells the girl.  
“Good evening Mrs Hudson.” That’s Lestrade’s voice.

John walks out of the flat into the hall.  “Have you got a warrent?  Have you?” 

 _John, so loyal.  Thank you._  
Leave it, John.”  Greg sighs.  
“Really, manners.”  As Sherlock pputs on his scarf and coat he mentally laughs at Mrs Hudson and her mother hen attitude.

John wonders if Sherlock can tell how hard it is for Lestrade to watch him get put in handcuffs and tell him the reason.  “Sherlock Holmes, I am arresting you on suspicion of abduction and kidnapping.” 

Does he know how hard it is on _him_.  “He’s not resisting.”  John can see how scared the kid really is.  His back may be straight and his sholders may be squared and chin held high but no inside he is shaking and wants to crawl under his covers like he does some mornings when John tries to coax him out of bed.  
“It’s alright, John.”

But no it’s everything but alright.  “He’s not resisting.  No, it’s _not_ alright.  This is ridiculous.”

Lestrade says nothing to him at first.  “Get him downstairs now.”  He tells the officer holding the cuffs.  
“You no you don’t have to do ...” John starts to defend his bestfriend.  
“Don’t try to interfere, or I shall have to arrest you too.”  His voice trembles and John says nothing.  Because those eyes tell John that he’s just making it worse.  
“You done?” He asks Donovan.  _Done ruining his life?  Done tormenting him._  
“Oh I said it.”  She’s smug and he fake sympathy is frankly disgusting.  
“Mmm-hmm?”  
“First time we met.”  
“Don’t bother.”  He warns but she doesn’t listen.  
“’Solving cries won’t be enough.  One day he’ll cross the line.’  Now, ask yourself: what sort of man would kidnap those kids just so he can impress us all by finding them.

The Cheif Superintendant walks in and John imediatly doesn’t like him.  “Donovan.”  
“Sir.”  
“That our man?”  
“Yes sir.  That’s him.”  
“Looked a bit of a weirdo if you ask me.”  Donovan’s smug look falls for a second and she looks over at John who is standing up straighter, fists clenching at his sides, and glaring at the man.  
“Often are these vigilante types.”  He turns to look at John.  “What are _you_ looking at?”  John pulls his fist back and punches the guy dead in the nose.

 

Lestrade sees John hand behind his back being pushed next to Sherlock  and handcuffed to him.  He looks at the Cheif and snorts because of course John would sock him in the face.  He couldn’t just leave it.

Sherlock looks at John with one eye raised but John can see the relif he feels not being alone anymore.  “Joining me?”  
 _Does Sherlock know that that is a flirting tone?_ He wonders.  “Yeah.  Apparently it’s against the law to chin the Cheif Superintendant.”  
“Hmm.  Bit awkward this.”  Sherlock says gesturing down with his chin to the handcuffs tieing them together.  
 _He has to know._   “Huh.  No-one to bail us.”  
“I was thinking more about our imminent and daring escape.”  Sherlock is looking all around them now eyes calculating everything that is going on and how many routes of escape there are and what the percentages for them being successful are.  The radio is chattering in the background and it’s interfereing with- _Oh!  Interference!  Yes!_   He smirks and reaches his right hand, the one not cuffed to John, inside the police car and grabs the the radio putting it too close to the reciever.  A very loud high-pitched noise is put into the the ear piece of every officer standign near by.

He turns and snatches the pistol out of the hoster of the nearest offcer and holds it out.  “Ladies and gentlemen, will you all please get on your knees?”  When no one listens to him he points it into the sky and fires it twice.  “ _NOW_ would be good!”  He points it back at everyone. 

Lestrade rolls his eyes and yells, “Do as he says!”


	15. When They Come For Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chapter Is Still Under Construction

Not My Idea  
Yeah, my hostage  
work together  
hold my hand  
lie prefered  
no Mycroft  
Duck and dodge  
Jump infront/bus  
New Neighbour  
the code  
dodge  
change game  
subtle  
kiss and tell  
who is Rich Brook?


	16. Enemies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chapter Is Still Under Construction.

Kitty Reiley  
uncuffed  
who's brooke?  
meet bf -MORIARTY?!?!

I'll be safe?  
Moriarty not real  
Scared little Richard  
Blow ME UP!  
Sherlock?  
Proof  
payed to do it  
"sorry dr watson"  
show more proof  
sherlock gets angry and yells  
DON"T TOUCH ME!  
got away  
You Repel Me  
can he even do that?  
sell a big lie  
need to do


	17. I'm Not Okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chapter Is Still Under Construction.

Wrong  
count  
I'm not okay  
Help me  
what do you need?  
would you if i wasn't smart?  
what do you need?  
you.

meanwhile: john does his own deductions


	18. The Man Who Sold The World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chapter Is Still Under Construction.

Only someone close to Sherlock  
you told moriarty  
"I made a mistake"  
we wached  
most dangerous + key code = not good for world  
so, abduction?  
fed his obsession  
perfect amunition  
"I'm sorry. Tell him"  
walk away


	19. Dots and Dashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chapter Is Still Under Construction.

What is the code?  
Sherlock is trying to figure out where he left this code and how but that's not something he's good at.

john is so conductive

but ill have to leave in the end


	20. Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sherlock meets Moriarty for the Final face off

_Sentement is a chemical imbalance found on the losing side._   The seventeen year old kept telling himself.  _Maybe if John hates me... when I die it might not be so hard on him._   Sherlock snorted. _Yeah right.  He’s too bloody loyal for his own good._   He bounced the ball.  _  
“I will burn you._   _I’ll burn the_ heart _out of you”._   Moriarty’s voice taunts in Sherlocks head echoing around the walls of his Mind Palace.  He pulls out his cell phone.

 

Come and play.

Bart’s Hospital rooftop.

SH

P.S. Got something

of yours that you might want back

He looked at John.  John was the only one who had ever stuck around.  John didn’t have to he was twenty-one and Sherlock wasn’t even an actual adult yet.  Still, John never left.  This man was brave and smarter than he gave himself credit for it was a true honour to be his friend.  Sherlock knew that he loved John and that was going to be his downfall. 

Several hours later Sherlock is still sitting in the same spot when John’s phone rings.  
“Yeah, speaking.... Er, what?...” his face tells the boy that something has happened.  “What happened? Is she okay?” _She, and he’s worried, possibly Harry - but no he would reach for the necklace around his neck if that was the case._ “Oh my God.  Right, yes, I’m coming.” He hangs up the phone.  
“What is it?” Sherlock asks though he’s pretty sure he already knows and this is it.  He knows it’s a fake but John doesn’t.  
“Paramedics.  Mrs. Hudson – she’s been shot.  
 _Play along._ “What?  How?”  _Really, Moriarty, that’s a little much don’t you think?_  
“Well,” John is too frantic to figure it out on his own.  _Come on John see through it.  It’s a fake Mariarty is trying to seperate us.  Save me!  Please!_   Sherlock knows John won’t hear his mental pleas because he already believes this ruse. “Probably one of the killers you managed to attract... Jesus.  _Jesus_.  She’s dying, Sherlock.  Let’s go.”  As John turns to walk to the door Sherlock just goes back to bouncing his ball.  _I’m giving you a hint.  Figure it out and please... I’m sorry, John.  But if you hate me it’s better._  
“You go.”  _So sorry._   “I’m busy.”  
“Busy?”  John’s look of utter disbelief and ...disgust tears Sherlock’s heart.  _I’ll burn the heart out of you!_   The words echo louder than before.   
“Thinking.  I need to think.”  _No! Don’t say that to him!_  
“You need too...?   Doesn’t she mean anything to you?  You once half-killed a man because he laud a finger on her.  
 _Fix it!  Tell him what’s wrong.  It’s John.  He’ll understand!  “_ She’s my landlady.” He shrugs.  
 John looks like Sherlock just hit him.  “She’s dying...  You _machine_!” _John with his ugly jumpers that you steal sometimes when it’s cold and he’s at the clinic._   “Sod this.  Sod this,” John turns to walk out the door , “You stay here if you want, on your own.   
 _Make him hate you.  John!  Please don’t listen to me!  Don’t fall for it.  It’s a trick._   “Alone is what I have.  Alone protects me.”  John stops walking.   
Voice shaking he says, “No.  _Friends_ protect people.”  The door slams shut behind him and Sherlock shows no expression.  _You’re right John.  As always you’re right.  But you have to hate me.  Because you are my heart and Moriarty will burn you  if I can’t save you.  I’m sorry._

 

I’m waiting....

JM

He stands up.  Because now the curtain must close.

 

When Sherlock walks out onto the roof of the Hospital he sees him there.  Moriarty’s listening to The Bee Gees’ _Stayin’ Alive_ he looks at the detective and gives him a knowing smirk.  “Ah.  Here we are at last – you and me, Sherlock, and our problem – the final problem.  Stayin’ alive!  It’s so boring isn’t it?”  He turns off the music with a scowl.  “It’s just... staying.  
“All my life I’ve been searching for distractions.  You were the best distraction and now I don’t even have _you_.  Because I’ve beaten you.  And you know what?  In the end it was easy.”  Sherlock’s been looking for a way to get out of this.  He adopts a stance similar to one he sees John use.  _Maybe it’s my self concious.  Standing like him because I know he’s not actually here with me._  
“It was easy.” The madman says disappointedly.  “Now I’ve got to go back to palying with the ordinary people.  And it turns out _you’re_ ordinary just like all of them.  Ah well.”  He stands up to walk closerand inspect the detective.  Sherlock’s tapping a beat onto his other hand with his fingers behind his back.   
“Did you almost start to wonder if I was real?  Did I nearly get you?”  
“Richard Brook.”  Sherlock knows that all the answer that this man needs.  
“Nobody seems to get the joke, but you do.  
“Of course.”  
“Attaboy.” The false praise makes his skin crawl.  It’s so deifferent from John’s genuine amazment.   
“Rich Brook in German is Reichen Bach – the case that made my name.”  
“Just tryin’ to have some fun.” Moriarty says in a fake American accent.  This is all just a game to him.  He’s jsut playing.  It’s dangerous.  He notices Sherlock’s fingers.  “Good.  You got that too.  
“Beats like digits.  Every beat is a one; every rest is a zero.  Binary code.  That’s why all those assasins tried to save my life.  If was gidden on me; hidden inside my head – a few simple lines of computer code that can break into any system.”  
“I told all my clients: last one to Sherlock is a sissy.”  
“Yes, but now that it’s up here, I can use it to kill Rich Brook and bring back Jim Moriarty.”  Sherlock get’s excited he thinks he’s figured out a way to get out of this a way to survive.  _A way to get back to John._  
“No, no, no, no, no, this is too easy.”  He says shaking his head in disappointment.  “This si too easy.”  He angrily throws out his arms.  “There _is_ no key, DOOFUS!”  Moriarty is right in his face now he can smell the Danger, taste it, feel it radiating off his body.  Usually this would be the kind of thing that Sherlock loves.  “Gets off on” as Donovan puts it.  But no, not this time.  This time all he can think of is getting out alive and making in back to John beause he _has_ to let John know that he does care.  That Mrs. Hudson is okay that John is his friend and John makes everything better when he takes care of him and treats him like a human being.  
“Those digits are meaningless.  They’re utterly meaningless.”   
 _What?_ Sherlock thinks, _No they can’t be._  
“You don’t really think a couple of lines of computer code are gonna crash the world around our ears?  I’m disappointed.”  He walks away clumsely “I’m dissapointed in you, ordinary Sherlock.”  
Sherlock had never wished more than in that moment that he really was ordinary that Moriarty had never piqued an interest in him.  He was gonna lose.   
“But the rhythm...”  
“ _Partita Number One_.  Thank you Johann Sebastian Bach.  
“But then how did...”  Sherlock was grasping to find some footing again because he was jsut starting to realize how out of his depth he really was.   
“Then how did I break in to the Bank, to the Tower, to the Prison?” he looks at Sherlock as if it’s obvious.  “Daylight robbery.  All it takes is some willing participants.  I knew tou’d fall for it.  That’s your weakness – you always want everything to be celver.  Now, shall we finishe the game?  One final act.  Glad you chose a tall building – nice way to do it.”   
Sherlock was still trying to catch up.  “Do it?  Do – do what?” then it occours to him and he looks at Moriarty.  “Yes, of course.  My suicide.”  
“’Genius detective proved to be a fraud.’  I read it in the paper so it must be true.  I love newspapers.  Fairytales.”   Sherlock walks over to look over the edge of the building.  “And pretty Grimm ones too.”  Sherlock thinks that is a play on words but he’s not too sure.  He turns back to face Moriarty.  “I can still prove that you created an entirely false identity.”  
“Just kill yourself.  It’s a lot less effort.”  Sherlock is still trying to figure out how to get out.  “Go on.  For me.  Pleeeeeeease?”  And the innocence of that questions makes Sherlock’s stomach want to turn.  Makes him want to just pu- _Oh!_  

He grabbs Moriarty by the collar of his coat with both hand and leans him over the edge.  Moriarty looks vaguely surprised as if he wasn’t expecting that.  But Sherlock is feeling caged.  He’s almost panicing.  “You’re insane.”  
“You’re just getting that _now_?”  Sherlock shakes him and Moriarty cheers.  “Okay let me give you a little extra incentive.  You’re friends will die if you don’t.”

Sherlock’s eyes widden, “John.” He gasps.  
“Not just, John.  Everyone.”  Moriarty whispers that last word as if it’s sacred and the most beautiful thing in the world.  
“Mrs. Hudson.”  
“ _Everyone_.” Again reverently.  
“Lestrade.” And he holds tight because all of a sudden John and everyone else’s life depends on this man not falling not dying because that’s the only way that he can save them.  
“Three bullets; three gunmen; three victims.  There’s no stopping them now.”  Sherlock pulls Moriarty back up.  “Unless my people see you jump.  You can have me arrested; you can torture me; you can do anything you like with me; but nothing’s gonna prevent them from pulling the trigger.  Your only three friends in the world will die... unless...

Sherlock swallows, “...unless I kill myself – complete your story.”  Because that’s what this all was to Moriarty just a story.  A game.  The world was his playing board and he would wright and rewright the rules to suite him as many times as he liked.  
“You gotta admit that’s sexier.  
“And I die in disgrace.  
“Of _course_.  That’s the _point_ of this.”  Moriarty looks over the side of the building and sees that there are quite a few people down below.  “Oh you’ve got an audience now.  Off you pop.  Go on.”

Sherlock steps up to the ledge and looks down.  Calculating his odds of surviving.  Right now they are zero.  
“I told you this is how it ends.  Your death is the only thing that’s gonna call off the killers.  _I’m_ certainly not gonna do it.”  He looks at Sherlock ready to see him jump.  The glee and laughter are in his eyes and Sherlock realizes that psychopath beats sociopath anyday.

Sherlock takes a breath, “Would you give me ... one moment, please; one moment of privacy?  Please?”  
Moriarty, offended by this human request Sherlock gives him almost says no but decides he’s like to watch the terror the boy displays for a few moments longer because it was beautiful.  The hopelessness the utter despair that crushed this beautiful man’s features.  Oh that look would be in his dreams for years to come.  Would sherlock scream just before he falls?  Shelock looked so broken.

Moriarty looks up when he hears laughter.  That’s not right Sherlock is laughing he should be crying.  “What?  What is it?  What did I miss?”

Sherlock jumps down with a smirk on his face because he’s just solved a piece.  “’ _You’re_ not fgoing to do it.’   So the killers _can_ be called off, then – there’s a recall code or a word or a number.”  The rolls have reversed and now he’s the one sizing Moriarty up.  “I don’t have to die _if I’ve got you.”_   He says the last part in a sing-song voice like Moriarty always uses.  
“Oh!”  Moriarty relaxes in relief.  You think you can _make_ me stop the order?  You think _you_ can make me do that?”  
“Yes.  So do you.”   Sherlock has ir figured out.  _John I’m not going to die._  
“Sherlock, your big brother and all the King’s horses couldn’t make me do a thing I didn’t want to.”  
“Yes, but I’m not my brother, remember.  I am you – prepared to do anything; prepared to burn; prepared to do what ordinary people won’t do.”  _He just wants me to play along that’s it.  I play and then I live and so do John and everyone else._   “You want me to shake hands with you in hell?  I shall nto diappoint you.”  
“Nah.  You _talk_ big.  Nah.  You’re ordinary.  You’re ordinary – you’re on the side of the angels.”  
 _Angels don’t hurt people angels would never do what I did to John.  Angels don’t drag people to hell._   “Oh, I may be on the side of the angels, but don’t think for one second that I am one of them.”  He looks Moriarty dead in the eye and he means every word of it.  _If I have to die.  YOU have to die._

And Moriarty seems to hear that.  “No, you’re not.”  He closes his eyes as if he’s reached nirvana and his God is speaking do him.  When he opens them Sherlock’s stomach fills with dread because those eyes are too far gone too far from reason there is no escape he has to do it.  “I see.  You’re not ordinary.  No.  You’re me.”  Excitment fills his voice as he says, “You’re me! _Thank_ you!”  He holds out his hand confusing the boy more because now there are no tells as to what Moriarty man plans to do next.  He’s crazy and unpredictable and there is nothing to deduce.  “Sherlock Holmes.”  Sherlock reaches for Moriarty’s hand to shake with his own.  “Thank you.  _Bless_ you.”  There are tears in his eyes and he looks down as if he can’t meet Sherlock’s gaze.   
“As long as I’m alive, you can save your friends; you got a way out.  Well good luck with that.” 

Her looks up to meet Sherlock’s eyes while still holding the boy’s hand he pulls his other that is holding a gun out of his pocket and put the barrel in his mouth.  Sherlock pulls back as Moriarty pulls the trigger.


	21. Lost In The Echo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goodbye

When John walked into the foyer at Baker Street it took him a minute to realize what was wrong with what he was seeing.  _As always, John, you see but you don’t observe._   Then he realized it was that she was fine.  He walked foward.  
“Oh, God, John!  You made me jump!”    
“But...?”  
“Is everything okay now with the police?  Has, um, Sherlock sorted it all out?” 

It all starts to click into place.  _Moriarty has people everywhere.... everywhere.  In every position._   “Oh my God.”  _Sherlock.  You bastard you knew it was a fake.  You let me go anyway.... No!  Sherlock!_ John turns back out of the house and runs.  “Taxi!  Taxi!”  he sees one pull up on the curb across the street.  Another man starts to get in.  “no, no, no, no, no, police! ... Sort of.”  The other man may have said something to him but he had bigger priorities.

_Oh God Sherlock please be okay._

The drive to Bart’s seemed to take longer than normal.  Ages and John felt like he was going to be sick to his stomach.  _Oh, God, please let_ him _live._

When the car pulled up John felt the phone in his pocket start to ring.  He pulls it out as he gets out and begins to walk to the hospital.  
“Hello?”  
“John.”  _Thank God._  
“Hey,” can Sherlock hear the relief in his voice?  “Sherlock, are you okay?  
“Turn around and walk back the way you came now.”  
“No,”  _I’m not walking out again.  Not on you._   “I’m coming in.”

Sherlock’s voice is frantic, “Just do as I ask.  Please.”  
“Where?”  
“Stop.  There.”

John stops and and looks around.  “Sherlock?”  
“Okay, look up.  I’m on the rooftop.

John’s heart sinks.  “Oh, God.”  
“I ... I ... I can’t come down, so we’ll ... we’ll have to do it like this.”  
“What’s going on?”  
“An apology.  It’s all true.”  
“Wh-what?”  
“Everything they said about me.  I invented Moriarty.”  Sherlock looks behind him at something.  
“Why are you saying this?”

John hears the tears in Sherlock’s voice and the boy never cries when he knows John can see him.  “I’m a fake.”  
“Sherlock ...”

His voice breaks more, “The newspapers were right all along.  I want you to tell Lestrade; I want you to tell Mrs. Hudson, and Molly ... in fact tell anyone who will listen to you that I created Moriarty for my own purposes.  
“Okay, shut up, Sherlock, shut up.  The first time we met ... the _first time we met,_ you knew all about my sister, right?  
“No body could be that clever.”  
“ _You_ could.”  
“I researched you.  Before we met I discovered everything that I could to impress you.”  John can here the snuffling.  “It’s a trick.  Just a magic trick.”  
“No.  Al right, stop it now.”  John starts to walk fowards.  
“No! Stay _exactly_ where you are.  Don’t move.”  Sherlock holds out his hand.  
“All right.”  
“Keep your eyes fixed on me.”

 

Sherlock clutches the phone to his face.  _Come on John!  Figure it out._  “Please will you do this for me?  
“Do what?”  
“This phone call – it’s, er ... it’s my note.  It’s what people do, don’t they – leave a note?”  
“Leave a note when?” there is fear in John’s voice and Sherlock knows that if he keeps talking he’ll loose his resolve.  
“Goodbye, John.”  
“No, don’t.”  
 _This is for you._   Sherlock throws his phone down behind him and leans foward to because he knows he can’t take that step. 

John’s heart falls too.  “No.  SHERLOCK!”  John can’t move in horror but when he can he runs foward.  A biker runs into him with his bike and knocks him over.  John starts to black out, his ears are ringing, he’s having trouble breathing.  He gets up and stumbles foward towards the crowd that is gathering around the boy’s body.  “Sherlock.  Sherlock.”  He whispers.    
“I’m a doctor, let me come through.”  He doesn’t notice the other doctors around the body he just needs to be there.  “No, he’s my friend.  He’s my friend.  Please.”  He reaches for Sherlock’s wrist because he can’t be dead, _he just can’t_ be.  
“ _Please_ , let me just ...”  _I don’t wanna say goodbye._ They take the body and lift it up onto a stretcher that they just pulled up.  He doesn’t want to let them take the body.  Because if he can’t see the body then this all becomes real.  Sherlock will be gone. _No, no, no, no._   It’s all a mantra going through his head.

 

 

John was sitting in Ella’s office.  The rain out side seemed to reflect his mood.    
“Why today?”  Ella asks.  
“Do you want to hear me say it?”  
“Nearly eightneen months since our last appointment.”

Why was she torturing him like this?  “D’you read the papers?”  
“Sometimes.”  
“Mmm, and you watch telly?  You _know_ why I’m here.”  _This is too much and too hard._   “I’m here because...”  
“What happened, John?”  
“Sher...”  
“You need to get it out.”  
“My best friend ... Sherlock Holmes ... is dead.”  His voice crakes and he cries.  
“There’s stuff that you wanted to say ...”  __  
Yes of course there was!  He died thinking I didn’t bwelieve him.  Why couldn’t he know?  
“... but didn’t say it.”  
“Yeah.”  
“Say it now.”  
“No.  Sorry.  I can’t.”  


John is sitting in a cab with Mrs. Hudson and they are on their way to visit Sherlock’s grave.  She squeezes his arm. 

When they get to the grave she puts down the flowers.  “there’s all the _stuff_ , all the science eqipment.  I left it all in boxes.  I don’t know what needs doing.  I thought I’d take it to a school.”  She looks at him as if she expects an answer.  “Would you ...?  
“I can’t go back to the flat again – not at the moment.  I’m angry.”  _And hurt, and sad, and lost, and afraid, and so manythings because Sherlock at some point became my life.  When did that happen?_  
“It’s okay, John.  There’s nothing unusual about that.  That’s the way he made _everyone_ feel.  All the marks on my table; and the _noise_ – firing guns at half past one in the morning.”  
“Yeah.”  _I’d take it all back in a heartbeat._  
“Bloody specimens in my fridge.  Imagine – keeping bodies where there’s food!”  
“Yes.”  
“And the fighting!  Drove me up the wall with all his carryings-on!”  
“Yeah, listen: I-I’m not actually _that_ angry, okay?”  
“Okay.”  She gives his arm another sympathetic squeeze.  “I’ll leave you to, erm ... you know...” she trails off walking away.

John stans there looking at the head stone.

Sherlock

Holmes

John takes a deep breath and says, “Um ... mmm.  You ... you told me once that you weren’t a gero.  Umm ... there were tiems I didn’t even think you were _human_ , but let me tell you this: you were the best man, and the most human ... human being that I’ve ever knowsn and no-one will ever convince me that you told me a lie, and so ... There.” He sighs, “I was _so_ alone, and I owe you so much.  Okay.”

John turns to walk away but stops and walks back up to the grave.  “no, please, there’s just one more thing, mate, one more thing: one more miracle, Sherlock, for me.  Don’t ... be ... dead.  Would you do ...?  Just for me, just stop it.  Stop this.”  And there infront of Sherlock’s grave he actually cries.  Because this boy changed everything in his life.  Saved his life and now he was gone.  John makes an about face and turns to walk away.  Military the only mode he seems capable of running on.  


Several yards away behind a tombstone Sherlock stands listening.  _I would, John.  And I will.  But I have to make sure it’s safe first._

 

 


End file.
